Windsor
The City of Windsor is a smaller city relatively speaking to the larger population centers around it located in the province of Ontario. It is the southernmost city in the country of Canada. It itself lies south of several American states that are located above it. Windsor was long noted for its relationship to Detroit, Michigan across the river and are sometimes considered a binary city. The customs are a strange mix of American and Canadian making the city a rather unique area. Because of its size, Windsor plays very little role in national politics, with Toronto in the North being a much bigger player in Canadian policy. However, the citizens always have an opinion of what is happening over the virtually non-existent border. Description & History Windsor was always considered a small city when it came to the country around it. Ever since the city's founding in the 18th Century, the city has held onto its French founding. Many locations in it are based on the city's founding culture. In fact, one of the nicknames of the city in the past translated to the 'Poverty Coast' due to bad soil in the surrounding neighborhoods. However, the city maintained the British style of dividing up land, especially in narrow patches on the riverfront. The original core of the city was called 'Sandwich' and still exists today as an incorporated township in the city proper. The city was renamed to its modern name in 1794 after the city located in Berkshire, England. This was a very small city though until the 1930s where small towns began to join the larger city itself. Towns like Walkerville and Ford City were absorbed by the growing city. This process would continue for centuries where the growing metropolitan city would consume further towns. Windsor had two trades that separated itself from other cities - the first was its strong automotive production where it was considered one of the most important in the country due to its distance from Detroit or lack thereof. The second, at least during Prohibition, was the trade of illegal alcohol as smuggling rings ran wild. In the past, massive railway tracks sat on the riverfront where special barges used to transfer rail cars across the river to connecting lines in Detroit, however, these disappeared in the later half of the 20th Century, though eventually trams would return in the later 21st Century as public transportation would be a priority for urban efficiency. The city suffered somewhat during the Second American Civil War in the 2090s. Businesses turned away from the city and moved further towards the North, leaving Windsor to wilt somewhat, propped up by its agricultural centers as well as commercial services. It would not become a center of industry well into the 2300s. Windsor would have a habit of being neglected sometimes by the Federal government because of its voting demographics, which led to ommisions from the budget. The city was not fond of this and constantly petitioned for better representation. The city however went bankrupt in 2340, around the time when the first Interstellar colonization missions were taking off. At the same time, very few citizens in the city expressed interest in leaving the planet. The city would not recover for well over ten years. What Windsor would care about however was the recovery of Detroit, where they constantly sent members of their own construction companies to assist in the reconstruction of the city after parts of it were intentionally demolished in an effort to start over. This long bond between Windsorites and Detroiters was never more evident during the 24th Century. Citizens in the Canadian city even celebrated as Michigan became a successful Free State among the Liberty Unions. In the 26th Century, Earth would fall under siege by the Covenant, though Windsor was not a priority target. At the time, the city held just under two million people and most fled at the first sign of Covenant forces. This led to the city surviving the war almost untouched with the exception of fallout from orbital battles. Following the war, the focus was to build the city up even stronger in terms of economics since the UEG had become tight on credits. Canadian currency inflated in the post-war years, but Windsor managed to survive by making machinery to aid in recovery both on and off-world. The city remained much as it always had been - divided along the ancient land packets that the British had put in place centuries prior and the citizens were fine to keep that in place, even almost two thousand years after it had been instilled. However, buildings became taller and were covered with advertisements like any other modern city, but with its population of under five million, counting the areas out as far as Amhurstberg, it was not considered big by any means. However, it was large enough to maintain its own military presence and airfield for large planes as well as spacecraft. In terms of nautical access, docks were built close to the city center and canals for smaller watercraft were constructed to allow for access further into the city. Freighters from across Lake Erie were common sights as the city traded often with Michigan and Ohio. Currently, Windsor sees a large influx of off-world residents who choose to retire or raise a family in the city due to its relative comfort compared to other places in the same area. As of 3241, the largest ancestral makeup in the city is Gaelic. In addition to French, larger parts of the city have taken on Scottish influence with 30% of the city identifying with Scottish heritage. For the most part, alien races don't seem all that interested in Windsor, mostly choosing to go to Detroit instead. In that regard, Windsorites seem to be somewhat bitter about it, though nearly all Detroiters agree that Windsor has a better view of a skyline by far. At the top of buildings such as the Renaissance Center, it is quite common to have buildings below the field of view, with only a select few being above. Another claim to fame with the city is the pristine waterfront. While Detroit essentially developed a community on the banks of the river, Windsor created parkland. This practice began in the 20th Century and is a tradition that is still held strong in the city. Pieces of art, playgrounds, and restaurants dot the rolling hills as the famous Riverside Drive hugs the water's edge, allowing for travelers to get a good view of Detroit as well as the three bridges that allow access to the United States. Behind the Scenes * This is my home city! I lived here ever since I was a little kid and I wanted to give my home a bit of recognition, even if it was just a little nod. This fictional history of the city shows that we've had some rough times in the past, but we never know what's ahead for good or ill. Trivia * Windsor was the first Canadian City visited in the Chaos Chronicles * Some citizens are shown to still use British vernacular when speaking when the vast majority of the city speak what is essentially American Standard English. List of Appearances * Warpath (First Appearance)